The Fight for Calcium!

Zooylew · Post by **Zooylew** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 10:37 am

Hi!It feels good to be back! Stupid hackers had to hack every single on of my accounts to every place I went But now I'm back with questions. So only two of our hermits have come up in the last few months and our troubled Pink shelled friend has been making nightly visits! But they have been on the hunt for calcium. I've given egg shell after egg shell to them yet they still eat it all in one night... Could I not be feeding them something they should be getting? We feed them a little piece of some sort of sea food and then romaine lettuces and some other thing of food. Or is this normal?Thank you for any help!

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 10:45 am

Hi, we wondered where you went. Have you looked at our food lists in the zoea forum they are broken down into different nutrients that our crabby babies need. If this is all your giving they aren't getting all the nutrients they need. Are you giving any egg with the egg shell? They may be trying to get at the protein, what little is left in the shell.Cuttle bone from the bird section is also a good cheap source of calcium. If you have bigger crabs you can put small chunks of it in, but smaller ones have an easier time eating it if you grate/shred it into their bowl(my bigger ones even prefer it that way). If memory serves correct raspberry leaves contain calcium and a few other nutrients make sure they're organic though so no pesticides. Don't remember what the deal was with your pink shelled friend will you refresh our memory?

Zooylew · Post by **Zooylew** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 11:14 am

I have. I just went to looked. No I give just the shell after washing it (without soap) I cook eggs for my rats They ALWAYS get either uncooked shrimp, scollop, clam (They LOVE clam), We tried Smelt but They didn't like them but my rats did. We soaked sea weed to rehydrate it but they didn't like it so we tried it dry they didn't like that either. It's been hard finding stuff they Like... Except a Safe hermit crab treat they love that. OH and Cocoanut We gave them a half of it after we gathered most of it for a thing my mother makes but they loves the little bit in the shell and like to climb on it too. What do your hermits Like?

Zooylew · Post by **Zooylew** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 11:15 am

Oh and I notices Lilac on the list what part do you give them? Does it have to be dried?

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 12:38 pm

Not sure on the lilac. Usually its just the petals cuz most flower petals are edible but not always the other parts. Mine usually like boiled egg or scrambled no seasoning. I also buy dried food from the Hermit Crab Addiction store they like most of what I've gotten from there. Dried flowers they don't usually like, but oak and maple leaves they do.

Zooylew · Post by **Zooylew** » Sun Jun 14, 2015 3:59 am

Thank you

Laurie LeAnn · Post by **Laurie LeAnn** » Sun Jun 14, 2015 6:27 pm

Try organic peanut butter in the tank and raw ( real ) honey to. Organic baby foods like the chicken from beech nut is good protein. My crabs love it.